Sanatana Dharma - Aka Hinduism (2nd Bin)

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http://www.journals tar.com/articles /2008/03/ 29/living/ religion/ doc47ed42c7851c6 414830327. txt

Hindu convert a spiritual teacher at temple in Omaha
By BOB REEVES/Lincoln Journal Star
Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 - 12:14:55 am CDT

OMAHA — When Frank Morales was only 10 years old, growing up in
Brooklyn, N.Y., he developed a strong interest in spirituality.

"I started reading the various scriptures of the world," he said. He
read the Bible, the Quran, ancient Buddhist texts. Finally, he read
the Bhagavad Gita, a short book that is one of the most revered of
Hindu scriptures.

"I felt I'd found what I was looking for," he said.

The Gita tells the story of Arjuna, a warrior in India, who is caught
up in a battle between members of his own family. In a crisis of
conscience, he turns to Krishna, an incarnation of God, for advice.
Krishna gives Arjuna instruction and answers his questions, providing
a clear and logical explanation of the three paths of yoga, or union
with God.

The three paths — karma yoga (action), gyana-yoga (knowledge) and
bhakti-yoga (devotion) — form the basis for the practice of Hinduism.
As a young boy discovering them for the first time, Morales felt that
they gave the most understandable explanation of the human situation
and human beings' relationship with God.

"I was searching for a truth that was universal, not just sectarian,"
he said. "I wasn't looking for faith; I was looking for philosophy.
It had to be universally applicable."

He went on to study more Hindu scriptures and soon discovered that
there are so many Hindu texts that probably no one person has read
them all.

"They were written over many hundreds of years. They're older than
the Bible. They're considered the oldest collection of writings known
to humanity."

At age 14, he made his first visit to a Hindu temple — in Queens,
N.Y. The temple was filled with beautiful artwork and statues
representing many Hindu deities, each of whom is considered a
different expression of God.

"It was absolutely stunning; I was overwhelmed, " Morales said. "I
felt I was leaving the world behind, entering a spiritual world. I
finally sat down in front of a statue of Krishna, and in my own mind I
said, `I'm home. This will be my religion for the rest of my life.'"

Morales went on to study philosophy and theology, eventually receiving
a doctoral degree with an emphasis on Hinduism and Asian culture from
the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He made several trips to
India, and in 1986, after living as a celibate monk for six years, he
was initiated as a Hindu priest.

Back in the United States, he became an acharya, or teacher of
Hinduism, and adopted the Sanskrit name Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya.
The word "dharma" means natural law; his name literally means "one who
sets the dharma in motion."

Morales has become a widely recognized Hindu teacher, especially
through his Web site, www.dharmacentral. com. He is president of the
International Sanatana Dharma Society.

Last fall, he became the resident acharya (spiritual teacher) at the
Hindu Temple of Nebraska in Omaha. He teaches several different
classes, including introduction to Hinduism, a study of the Bhagavad
Gita and a youth class. He gives a spiritual talk prior to Sunday
worship at the temple and also leads satsang (meditation and religious
discourse) sessions weekly in Omaha, and once each month in Lincoln.

Most of his students are people of Indian background who want to learn
more about their religion. But a growing number are people who come
from other religious traditions who want to learn about Hinduism. A
few of those have decided, like Morales did, to become Hindus themselves.

"Hinduism does not look for converts," Morales said. "But we do like
to teach. Anyone is welcome to come and learn."

Heather Mortensen is one of his students who considers herself a
convert to Hinduism. She grew up in an evangelical Christian family,
but said she had many doubts about the God of the Bible, who often is
depicted as angry and judgmental. She went to www.beliefnet. com to
learn about other religions. "I was super impressed with the Hindu
quotes," she said.

That led her to read the Bhagavad Gita and felt it answered her
questions about God and human destiny. "I was in bliss the entire day
while I was reading it."

Mortensen said she found the Hindu concept of reincarnation most
appealing, because it gives people a chance to keep striving, through
successive lives, to learn and grow closer to God.

She began studying with Morales in Wisconsin, and when he came to
Nebraska last fall, she moved to Omaha to continue taking classes from
him. Mortensen goes to the Hindu Temple regularly to meditate and
participates in Sunday services there with the Hindu community.

The temple serves about 1,000 families — predominantly immigrants from
India and their children — but there are a few converts, like
Mortensen, who regularly attend services.

"I'm getting to know them (the Indians)," she said. "They're usually
surprised at first — but I remind them I'm Hindu by telling them my
Hindu name." Mortensen took the Sanskrit name Tulasi in a ritual in
which she vowed to follow Hindu teachings and practices.

On May 29, Morales will lead a ritual in Council Bluffs for 20 or more
people who are becoming Hindus. He estimates that about 1.5 million
Americans nationwide have converted to Hinduism.

Stephanie Guilfoyle, another of Morales' students who lives in Omaha,
was raised Lutheran and converted to Catholicism when she got married,
but about 10 years ago began studying different forms of Buddhism.
That eventually led her to Hinduism, since the Buddha was himself a
practicing Hindu.

"I was searching for the truth — I was searching for the root of all
the traditions I had studied," she said. "When I read the Bhagavad
Gita, I felt, `This is what all the other religions are saying, but
it's in the purest form, the most undiluted.'"

In the Gita, Krishna teaches Arjuna about the nature of the soul and
about the difference between eternal reality and the changing world of
sensory experience. The ultimate destiny of all people, Krishna says,
is union with God.

She described Morales as a gifted teacher who helped the meaning of
the text come alive.

John Granger, who grew up in a Catholic family and attended a Jesuit
high school, became an agnostic at age 17 and didn't become a believer
again until he discovered Hinduism at age 44.

"Hinduism seems to fit my spiritual path, but it was a path I was on
anyway," he said.

Granger enjoys the richness of the Hindu tradition, which is reflected
in the many different deities represented in the Omaha temple. The
temple has 12 separate sanctums, or altars, each with one or more
statues representing different incarnations of God. People from
various parts of India have certain deities that they honor, so Hindus
of all backgrounds feel comfortable in the Omaha temple.

Ram Bishu, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineering professor and
chairman of the temple's religious committee, said the temple was
created primarily as a center of worship and teaching for people from
India who live in Nebraska and Iowa. But, he added, "We're totally
comfortable" with people of other religious backgrounds visiting or
participating in prayers and rituals.

"Hinduism is not a proselytizing religion," he said. "We have no
formal way of converting someone to Hinduism. It's a very
individualistic religion."

Bishu noted that many Americans practice yoga as an exercise
technique, or a way of calming their mind, but most are not aware of
the spiritual side of yoga as taught at the temple. Some people may go
to the temple because they're studying yoga and want to learn more
about its origins and deeper meaning, he said.

Many church groups visit the temple seeking to learn about Hinduism
and promote inter-religious understanding.

"Hinduism is a religion of tolerance," Morales said. His goal as a
teacher, he said, is not to preach but to explain the religion and
offer "a supportive environment" for individual spiritual growth.

http://www.dharmacentral.com